Circular loom



Feb 1933 w. A. DICKIE ET AL 2,108,108

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed May 16, 1936 WILLIAM A. mums FRANK C. HALE INVENTORSj WWK ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNiTE.

STATES CIRCULAR LOOM ration of Delaware Application May 16, 1936, SerialNo. 80,178 in Great Britain July 2, 1935 2 Claims.

This invention relates to circular looms, and has particular referenceto looms in which the shuttles are positioned by means of vane Wheelsmounted on a rotatable shaft disposed to one side of the shuttle so thatthe vane wheels penetrating the sheet of warps at that side of theshuttle hold the shuttle in position While allowing the warps of thatsheet to pass through the slots between the vanes.

One method of driving a shaft of this type provides for the extension ofthe shaft substantially tangentially away from the shuttle circle togearing connecting the shaft with an annular gear concentric with theloom axis, the relative rotation between the shuttles and the warpsproviding that the annular gear drives the vane wheel shaft at a highspeed.

The present invention provides for the adjustment of the vane wheelswith respect to the shuttle in driving means of the type just described.

According to the invention one end of the vane wheel shaft terminates ina universal coupling so as to provide for a movement of the length ofshaft adjacent to the shuttle \m'thout interrupting the drivingconnection to the shaft. Preferably an Oldham coupling is employed so asto provide for a movement of the vane wheel shaft parallel to itself,thus ensuring correct meshing of all the vane wheels with thecorresponding parts (usually rollers) in the shuttle body. Thus, wear orslight variations in the diameters of the vane wheels or of theirengaging rollers in the shuttle may be readily compensated for oradjustments made in the clearance between the parts of theshuttle-holding mechanism with no interference to the vane-wheel-drivingmechanism.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with respect tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a part elevation of a shuttle and its vane wheel mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1.

The shuttles l are held within warp sheds comprising inner and outerwarp sheets 2, 3 formed by any suitable shedding means (not shown).Outside the shuttle circle are shafts t, lying at their right-hand endsopposite the shuttles i and extending to the left parallel to tangentsof the shuttle circle. Each shaft 4 carries two pairs of vane wheels 5,which penetrate the outer warp sheet 3 so as to engage rollers 6 freelymounted on horizontal axes l in the shuttle body at heights above andbelow the height of the shaft d. Each shuttle is thus supported at fourpoints on its outer side.

Inside the shuttle circle lies the circular race ll, having an inclinedface with a rubber covering 9. Opposite each pair of vane wheels 5 aroller H1 is mounted in the shuttle body on a pivot ll parallel to theface of the race 8.

The rollers l8 bear against the race 8, the inner warp sheet 2 passingbetween the rollers and the race. Each shuttle is thus supported on itsinner side at two points at a height intermediate the heights of therollers 6, the two points providing for two symmetrically appliedthrusts to oppose the thrusts of the vane wheels 5.

Each shuttle is thus nipped at two positions in its length by a pair ofvane wheels 5 and by the race 8 engaging the corresponding roller ill.The shuttle is thus held steadily and prevented from undue rockingmovement about a vertical axis, which improves the weft-laying of theseveral shuttles, gives smoother rolling of the vane wheel peripherieson the rollers 5, and generally adds to the performance of the loom.

The shafts 4 are carried by columns I3 mounted on a ring M rotatableabout the axis of the loom. Bevel gears [5 connect the shafts 4 withshafts l6 inside the columns I3, the shafts l6 terminating in pinions llthat mesh with a stationary annular gear l8, so that as the ring I4 isrotated (by means not shown) the vane wheel shafts d are rotated.

As the vane Wheels 5 are carried by the ring I l round the axis of theloom, they press against flanges E9 of the rollers 6 in the shuttles land cause the shuttles to be propelled round the loom at the same speedas the ring M. The rollers l rotate freely over the warps 2 lyingbetween them and the race 8.

The rotation of the vane wheels presents the slots between the vanes tothe threads of the outer Warp sheet 3 and allows those threads to passthe vane wheels.

The bodies of the rollers 6 may be madeof slightly resilient material,e. g., fabric impregnated with synthetic resin and blocked to form amaterial capable of being machined. The flanges 58 are preferably ofmetal, as are the vane wheels.

Each vane wheel shaft t terminates in a universal coupling of the Oldhamtype, consisting of one external member 2 3 connected to the shaft t, asecond external member 2! connected to the bevel gearing l5 in thecolumn l3, and an intermediate member 22. The intermediate member makesieather-and-slot connections with the two external members, therespective feathers and slots being at right angles to each other.

The shaft 4, moreover, is carried in bearings 23 bolted to the columnsl3 through slots 24 that permit the shaft to be moved towards or awayfrom the shuttle I The vane wheels can thus be brought into correctengagement with the shuttles, and, in particular, caused to distributetheir thrust equally to the two rollers 10, the universal couplingpermitting this adjustment to be made without any interference with thevane wheel drive.

Further, by reason of the Oldham coupling permitting the vane Wheelshaft to slide parallel to itself, provision is afforded for thecomplete withdrawal of the section of the shaft holding the vane wheelsfrom the shuttle, and in this way removal of the shuttle itself from thewarps is greatly facilitated.

Having described our invention what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. Circular loomof the type comprising means for positioning theshuttles by means of vane wheels mounted in spaced relationship on arotatable shaft so as to engage correspondingly spaced rollers in ashuttle, said loom comprising means to adjust the shaft parallel toitself and towards and away from the shuttle so as to provide correctmeshing of the vane wheels with the corresponding rollers in the shuttleand a universal coupling through which the shaft may be driven in any ofits adjusted positions.

2. Circular loom of the type comprising means for positioning theshuttles by means of vane wheels mounted in spaced relationship on arotatable shaft so as to engage correspondingly spaced rollers in ashuttle, said loom comprising means to adjust the shaft parallel toitself and towards and away from the shuttle so as to provide correctmeshing of the vane wheels with the corresponding rollers in the shuttleand an Oldham coupling through which the shaft may be driven in any ofits adjusted positions.

W'ILLIAIVI ALEXANDER DICKIE. FRANK CORBYN HALE.

